What does intracanal osteoclastic activity cause?

• A. Internal root resorption
• B. External root resorption
• C. Condensing osteitis
• D. Idiopathic osteosclerosis

Answer: (A)

Intracanal osteoclastic activity resorbs tooth structure from within the root canal walls, producing internal root resorption. This happens when odontoclasts in the pulp space become active due to chronic inflammation or trauma, chewing away at dentin from the inside while the outer root surface remains intact in early stages. Radiographically, you’ll see enlargement of the pulp chamber or root canal with a radiolucent area that seems to expand from the inside, often maintaining a relatively smooth outer contour until it progresses. If this process isn’t stopped, it can perforate through to the surrounding bone. This differs from external root resorption, which starts on the outer surface of the root and progresses inward, and from other bone conditions like condensing osteitis or idiopathic osteosclerosis, which involve bone changes rather than resorption of the tooth structure. Treatment aims to remove the inflamed pulp tissue and halt the clastic activity through endodontic therapy.